This IDC Financial Insights report dives into the overall health and trends of the U.S. banking industry. U.S. bankers have been dealing with a combination of bank failures, poor earnings, increased regulations, and a lingering negative perception by the American public. Fortunately for bankers, the stalemate in Washington, D.C., has taken much of the anguish away from financial services, and the public is now looking at other issues like gun control and the growing deficit. This is exactly what the industry needed to help heal the wounds of the past and begin to look forward to a changed banking landscape.

"While we are still looking at a consolidated industry as we have lost over one-third of our banks during the past decade, there are plenty of areas to be excited about," says Marc DeCastro, research director at IDC Financial Insights. "Successful bankers who can manage emerging technologies in data analytics, big data, and cloud computing will be in a great position for long-term success. In the meantime, expect more failures in 2013, but the worst is behind us."